Stock management for electronic transactions

ABSTRACT

Stock management for electronic transactions includes receiving an indication that an item of stock has been selected to be purchased by a purchaser. Stock management for electronic transactions also includes obtaining information relating to the purchaser, and determining whether to remove the item from stock based on the obtained information.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to stock management, and morespecifically, to stock management for electronic transactions.

As the internet has continued to develop and increase in sophistication,its use in commerce has increased over the past years. Retailers, bothbrick and mortar retailers and electronic retailers, may provide a forumwhere their goods and services may be purchased electronically. Forexample, a user may access a retailer's website, and navigate to anumber of items to be purchased. Each item may be placed in a “shoppingcart” and held until checkout where a purchaser pays for the items. Viaelectronic transactions, goods and services may be easily selected byusers from the comfort of their own home, and distributed with reducedinvolvement with retailer personnel.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Stock management for electronic transactions includes receiving anindication that an item of stock has been selected to be purchased by apurchaser, obtaining information relating to the purchaser, anddetermining whether to remove the item from stock based on the obtainedinformation.

Stock management for electronic transactions includes receiving anindication via an electronic holding container that an item of stock hasbeen selected to be purchased by a purchaser, obtaining a correlationbetween electronic holding container use and completed purchases for thepurchaser, removing the item from stock when the correlation indicates ahigh probability that the item will be purchased, and maintaining theitem in stock when the correlation does not indicate a high probabilitythat the item will be purchased.

Stock management for electronic transactions includes supplying anelectronic holding container to indicate items of stock selected to bepurchased by a purchaser, receiving an indication that an item of stockhas been selected to be purchased by a purchaser, obtaining a purchasehistory relating to the purchaser, removing the item from stock before apurchase when the purchase history indicates a high probability that theitem will be purchased, and maintaining the item in stock when thepurchase history does not indicate a high probability that the item willbe purchased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate various examples of the principlesdescribed herein and are a pan of the specification. The examples do notlimit the scope of the claims.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system for stock management for electronictransactions, according to one example of principles described herein.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of purchaser information, according to one exampleof principles described herein.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of stock management for electronictransactions, according to one example of principles described herein.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another method of stock management forelectronic transactions, according to one example of principlesdescribed herein.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example of a stock manager, according to theprinciples described herein.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an example of a stock manager, according to theprinciples described herein.

Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar,but not necessarily identical, elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present specification describes a system and a method for stockmanagement for electronic transactions such that items that are likelyto be purchased are removed from stock before a purchase is made.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentspecification may be embodied as a system, method, or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present specification may take theform of hardware or a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore,aspects of the present specification my take the form of a computerprogram product embodied in a number of computer readable mediums havingcomputer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. Acomputer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limitedto, an electronic, magnetic, optical electromagnetic, infrared, orsemiconductor system, apparatus, or device or any suitable combinationof the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of thecomputer readable mediums would include the following: an electricalconnection having a number of wires, a portable computer diskette, ahard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), anerasable programmable read-only memory (EPROP or Flash memory), anoptical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), anoptical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitablecombination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, acomputer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that cancontain, or store a program for use by or in connection with anyinstruction execution system, apparatus, or device such as, for example,a processor.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wire line, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the presentspecification may be written in an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, or C++, among others. However, the computerprogram code for carrying out operations of the present systems andmethods may also be written in procedural programming languages, suchas, for example, the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer,partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partlyon the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely onthe remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remotecomputer may be connected to the user's computer through a local areanetwork (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may bemade to an external computer (for example, thought the internet using aninternet service provider).

Flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus, andcomputer program products are disclosed. Each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor or other programmable data processingapparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, whichexecute via a processor of the computer or other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, implement the functions/acts specified in theflowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

In one example, these computer program instructions may be stored in acomputer-readable memory that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablememory produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the functions/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram blocks or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer orother programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series ofoperations to be performed on the computer or other programmableapparatus to produce a computer implement process such that theinstructions which execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/orblock diagram blocks or blocks.

As noted above, electronic transactions are used to meet a purchaserdemand for 1) greater accessibility to goods and services and 2) asimplified purchasing process of the goods and services. Moreover, aretailer or service provider may benefit from electronic transactionsdue to the ease of implementation of electronic transactions through anonline distribution network. Additionally, via an e-commerce site aretailer or service provider may be able to present more products andservices than a brick and mortar establishment. The lower operatingcosts of electronic transactions may make electronic transactionsdesirable for a provider.

However, current stock management techniques for electronic transactionsmay include certain inefficiencies. For example, some electroniccommerce (e-commerce) stock management systems may have few options forchoosing when to remove an item from available stock. In one example,the item may be removed when the purchaser puts the item, or rather anindication of an item, in a shopping cart to be held until checkout andpayment. In another example, the item may be removed from stock when auser checks out or purchases the item. Both these options have certainlimitations. For example, in removing an item from stock when the itemis placed in a shopping cart makes the item unavailable for purchase byanother purchaser. Accordingly, a retailer or service provider may losea sale if the purchaser does not complete a purchase of the item. i.e.,the item may not be available for a legitimate purchaser. By comparison,if the item is removed from stock when it is purchased, a purchaser whohas put the item in his/her “shopping cart” may lose the item whileshopping for other items when another individual purchases the item.

Thus, the present specification describes systems and methods for stockmanagement for electronic transactions. More specifically, the systemsand methods describe making inventory decisions about when to hold anitem for a person that's still shopping by leveraging information ontransaction history and purchaser buying habits.

A stock manager may receive an indication that an item has been selectedto be purchased. For example, the stock manager may receive anindication that an item, or rather an indication of an item, has beenplaced in a shopping cart or other temporary electronic holdingcontainer. The stock manager may obtain information relating to thepurchaser. The information may indicate the likelihood that a particularitem will be purchased. In other words, the information may indicate thelikelihood that a purchaser will pay for an item. If the informationindicates there is a high likelihood that a completed purchase willresult from the placement of the item in the shopping cart, the stockmanager may remove the item from stock before the purchase is completed.By comparison, if the information does not indicate a high likelihoodthat a completed purchase will result, the stock manager may retain theitem in stock until the purchase is completed.

Using a purchase history and other information relating to a purchasermay be beneficial to a retailer or service provider in that it putsgoods and services in the hands of actual purchasers, rather thanindividuals using the electronic holding container as a placeholder.Additionally, it reduces the hazard of removing an item from stock thatis unlikely to be purchased. It also may be beneficial to purchasers asit may increase the likelihood that an item of stock will be available.

An “electronic holding container” may be an electronic representationthat a purchaser intends to purchase an item of stock. For example,while shopping, a purchaser may click on an icon next to the item.Clicking on the icon may put a representation of the item in anelectronic holding container. While the item is in the electronicholding container, the purchaser may continue shopping and therepresentation of the item will remain in the electronic holdingcontainer until purchase. The retention of the representation of theitem in the electronic holding container does not indicate the itemitself will be retained in stock.

Further, in some examples “stock” may include goods, services, orcombinations thereof offered by a retailer or service provider.Likewise, the term “stock provider” may refer to any entity thatprovides goods and services to purchasers. For example, a retailer mayprovide products to a purchaser. In another example, a service providermay provide a service to a purchaser. In these examples both theretailer and the service provider may be stock providers.

Yet further, as used in the present specification and in the appendedclaims, “checking out” may include the purchase of an item, or othertransfer of title of the item. In some examples, additional events mayoccur during checkout including gathering credit card information,gathering mailing/billing address, or verifying credit card information,mailing information, or billing information.

As used in the present specification and in the appended claims, thephrase “a number of” or similar language may be any positive numbercomprising 1 to infinity; zero not being a number, but the absence of anumber.

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present systems and methods. It will be apparent,however, to one skilled in the art that the present apparatus, systems,and methods may be practiced without these specific details. Referencein the specification to “an example” or similar language means that aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connectionwith that example is included as described, but may not be included inother examples.

Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example of asystem (100) for stock management for electronic transactions, accordingto one example of principles described herein. By way of introduction,via a user device (101), a purchaser may purchase an item (105) of stock(104) via an online distribution network (102). A stock manager (103)may manage the stock (104). More specifically, the stock manager (103)may determine when to remove an item (105) from stock (104).

The system (100) may include a number of user devices (101). In oneexample, a user uses a user device (101) to access an onlinedistribution network (102) for a stock provider. An online distributionnetwork (102) may be a forum that allows stock providers, i.e.,retailers and service providers to provide their goods and services topurchasers. For example, an online distribution network (102) may be ane-commerce site for a product retailer. In another example, the onlinedistribution network (102) may be any online interface where a serviceprovider may provide their services to purchasers. For example, anairline may implement an online distribution network (102) to offerairline tickets. Other examples of service providers that may implementan online distribution network (102) include hotels that offer roomreservations and concert promoters that offer concert tickets. Whilespecific reference is made to retailers and service providers, themethods and systems described herein may be implemented in any situationthat involves an electronic holding container such as a shopping cart.

In some examples the online distribution network (102) may pertain tostock providers that provide their services or products solely via theonline distribution network (102). For example, a retailer may not havea physical location where goods are sold. In another example, the onlinedistribution network (102) may be used in addition to a physicalfacility. For an example, a retailer may distribute goods via anc-commerce site in addition to a physical facility.

The users of the online distribution network (102) may access the onlinedistribution network (102) via a number of user devices (101). Examplesof user devices (101) include desktop computers, laptop computers,smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and tablets, amongother electronic devices. In other words, a user device (101) may be anyelectronic device that allows a user to carry out an online transactionvia an online distribution network (102).

A stock manager (103) may manage stock (104) for an electronictransaction. The stock manager (103) may determine when to remove anitem (105) from stock (104) based on information gathered about apurchaser. For example, the stock manager (103) may receive anindication about the purchasing habits of the purchaser. Thisinformation may indicate the likelihood that an item (105) representedin the electronic holding container is likely to be purchased. If it islikely that the item (105) will be purchased, the stock manager (103)may remove the item (105) from stock (104) when a representation of theitem (105) is placed in the electronic holding container before theactual purchase of the item (105). By comparison, if it is not likelythat the item (105) will be purchased, the stock manager (103) mayretain the item (105) in stock (104) until the item (105) is actuallypurchased at checkout. More detail concerning the determination of whento remove an item (105) from stock (104) is given below.

Leveraging information about a purchaser to make determinationsregarding stock management may be beneficial in that it removes items(105) from stock (104) when there is a high probability that a completedtransaction will occur. Accordingly, instances of stock (104) shortagesand lost items (105) during shopping may be reduced.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of purchaser information (206), according to oneexample of principles described herein. As described above, the stockmanager (FIG. 1, 103) may determine whether to remove items (FIG. 1,105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) based on purchaser information (206). Inone example, the purchaser information (206) may include demographicinformation (207). The demographic information (207) may include anyinformation that indicates a demographic of a purchaser. For example,the demographic information (207) may indicate an age demographic, agender demographic, an income demographic, and a location demographic,among other types of demographic information (207). The demographicinformation (207) may be used to determine whether or not to remove anitem (FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) when an item (FIG. 1, 105)is placed in an electronic holding container.

The purchaser information (206) may also include group membershipinformation (208). The group membership information (208) may indicatewhether a purchaser is a member of a particular group of the stockprovider. For example, a purchaser may pay a premium to be a member of aparticular group. In this example, by being a member of the group, anitem (FIG. 1, 105) may be removed from stock (FIG. 1, 104), when themember places the item (FIG. 1, 105) in an electronic holding container.By comparison, in some examples if the purchaser is not a member of theparticular group, items (FIG. 1, 105) may be removed from stock (FIG. 1,104) when paid for at checkout.

In another example, a stock provider may afford certain purchaserspreferential treatment. For example, a stock provider may allowemployees, or distributers to be in a group. When members of this groupindicate their intent to purchase an item (FIG. 1, 105) by placing theitem (FIG. 1, 105) in an electronic holding container, the item (FIG. 1,105) may be removed from stock (FIG. 1, 104). By comparison, if apurchaser is not a member of the group, an item (FIG. 1, 105) may beremoved from stock when the item (FIG. 1, 105) is paid for at checkout.

The purchaser information (206) may include purchase history information(209). Purchase history information (209) may be any information thatindicates the purchase habits of a purchaser. For example, the purchasehistory information (209) may include purchase frequency information(210). The purchase frequency information (210) may indicate thefrequency of past purchases. For example, the purchase frequencyinformation (210) may indicate how many purchases the purchaser makesfor a given period of time, i.e., a month or a year. The purchasehistory information (209) may also include purchase value information(211). The purchase value information (211) may indicate a value of pastpurchases. For example, the purchase value information (211) mayindicate a dollar value of individual purchases, or may indicate acollective dollar value of past purchases. Purchase quantity information(212) may indicate a quantity of past purchases. Purchase typeinformation (213) may indicate the type of past purchases. For example,the purchase type information (213) may categorize the past purchases.Examples of categories include, type of purchases (i.e., furniture,appliances, electronic goods, literature, media, household items,consumable items, consumer goods, services, among other purchase types)and price category or purchases (high value, low value, among otherprice categories), among other purchase categories. As will be describedbelow, in some examples, purchase type information (213) may be used toindicate a likelihood of a different purchase. For example, a user atsome point in time may have purchased a first book in a series. This mayindicate a high likelihood that the user will purchase the second bookin the series, the second book being in the electronic holdingcontainer. In another example, if a user has purchased a particularbrand of baby bottles, this may indicate a high likelihood that the userwill purchase bottle accessories of the same brand.

Purchase correlation information (214) may indicate a correlationbetween electronic holding container use and completed purchases. Forexample, the purchase correlation information (214) may be a ratio thatcompares electronic holding container use for items (FIG. 1, 105), andcompleted purchase for those items (FIG. 1, 105).

The purchase history information (209) may include information thatrepresents a combination of the aforementioned types of information. Forexample, the purchase history information (209) may identify pastpurchases based on frequency and value. A specific example is given asfollows. The purchase history information (209) may indicate the dollarvalues for individual purchases in the past twelve months. In anotherexample, the purchase history information (209) may indicate what typesof products or services (i.e., what purchase categories) have beenpurchased in the last twelve months, and the dollar values of thosepurchases.

In some examples, the purchaser information (206) may be stored on adatabase operated by the stock provider. In another example, thepurchaser information (206) may be stored on a database that is externalto the stock provider. For example, a stock provider may implement athird-party service to obtain the purchaser information (206). Inanother example, a stock provider may rely on a credit report obtainedfrom a third-party credit company to obtain purchaser information (206)that indicates the transaction history of a purchaser.

In another specific example, the purchaser information (206) may beobtained based on a profile obtained via a network. For example, thestock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may obtain purchaser profile informationgathered from social networking sites.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method (300) of stock management forelectronic transactions, according to one example of principlesdescribed herein. The method (300) may be performed by the stock manager(FIG. 1, 103). The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may receive (block 301)an indication that an item (FIG. 1, 105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104) has beenselected to be purchased by a purchaser. In some examples, theindication may include a representation of an item (FIG. 1, 105) beingplaced in an electronic holding container. For example, while shopping,an individual may identify an item (FIG. 1, 105) that he/she intends topurchase. The individual may select an icon corresponding to the item(FIG. 1, 105). Selecting the icon may direct the stock manager (FIG. 1,103) to place a representation of the item (FIG. 1, 105) in theelectronic holding container or shopping cart. While specific referenceis made to selection of an icon and placement of a representation of theitem in an electronic holding container, any type of indication may beimplemented in the method (300). For example, a purchaser may make anairline reservation. The reservation may be an indication of an item(FIG. 1, 105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104) that has been selected to bepurchased.

While shopping, a purchaser may place a number of representations ofitems (FIG. 1, 105) in the shopping cart and continue shopping. Whenshopping is completed, the purchaser may view the items (FIG. 1, 105) inthe electronic holding container and complete a purchase of the items(FIG. 1, 105), in which the items (FIG. 1, 105) are paid for andshipped.

Once a purchaser has selected an item (FIG. 1, 105), the stock manager(FIG. 1, 103) may obtain (block 302) purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206)relating to the purchaser. For example, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103)may retrieve purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) from a databaseoperated by the stock provider. The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) mayobtain (block 302) purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) from a databaseindependent of the stock provider. For example, the stock manager (FIG.1, 103) may use a third-party to obtain purchaser information (FIG. 2,206). The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may obtain (block 302) purchaserinformation (FIG. 2, 206) from information available on a network. Forexample, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may obtain (block 302)purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) from social networking sites.

As described above, the purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) may includedemographic information (FIG. 2, 207) of the purchaser, group membershipinformation (FIG. 2, 208) of the purchaser, purchase history information(FIG. 2, 209), or combinations thereof. Similarly, as described above,the purchase history information (FIG. 2, 209) may include purchasefrequency information (FIG. 2, 210), purchase quantity information (FIG.2, 212), purchase value information (FIG. 2, 211), purchase typeinformation (FIG. 2, 213), and past purchase correlation information(FIG. 2, 214), or combinations thereof. The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103)may obtain any type of information that indicates a purchase history orpurchasing habits of a purchaser.

The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may determine (block 303) whether toremove the item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) based on thepurchaser information (FIG. 2, 206). For example, if the purchaserinformation (FIG. 2, 206) indicates that the purchaser is likely tocomplete a purchase of the item (FIG. 1, 105), the stock manager (FIG.1, 103) may remove the item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) whenthe item (FIG. 1, 105) is placed in an electronic holding container. Bycomparison, if the purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) indicates thatthe purchaser is not likely to complete a purchase of the item (FIG. 1,105), the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may retain the item (FIG. 1, 105)in stock (FIG. 1, 104) until a later point in time, for example when theitem (FIG. 1, 105) is purchased or when the item (FIG. 1, 105) is nolonger a low availability item (FIG. 1, 105). More detail regarding thedecision to remove an item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) basedon the likelihood of a completed purchase is given below in connectionwith FIG. 4.

In another example, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may determine (block303) whether to remove an item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104)based on group membership information (FIG. 2, 208). For example, if thegroup membership information (FIG. 2, 208) indicates that the purchaserholds a particular membership with the stock provider, or is a member ofa particular group, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may remove the item(FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) when it is added to theelectronic holding container. By comparison, if the member does not holdthe particular membership, or is not a member of a particular group, theitem (FIG. 1, 105) may be held in stock (FIG. 1, 104) until the time ofpurchase. While specific reference is made to a few types of purchaserinformation (FIG. 2, 206), any type of purchaser information (FIG. 2,206) described in connection with FIG. 2, or any other type ofinformation that indicates purchase history and/or purchase habits of apurchaser may be used to determine when to remove an item (FIG. 1, 105)from stock (FIG. 1, 104).

In some examples, the method (300) may be implemented for a particularclass of items (FIG. 1, 105). The class of items (FIG. 1, 105) may bebased on the availability of the item (FIG. 1, 105) in stock (FIG. 1,104). For example, the method (300) may be implemented for lowavailability items (FIG. 1, 105). More specifically, if a quantity of anitem (FIG. 1, 105) in stock (FIG. 1, 104) is less than a predeterminedthreshold level, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may implement themethod (300) to determine when to remove the low availability item (FIG.1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104). By comparison, in this example, if aquantity of an item (FIG. 1, 105) is not below a predetermined thresholdlevel, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may remove the item (FIG. 1, 105)from stock (FIG. 1, 104) when the item (FIG. 1, 105) is placed in anelectronic holding container.

In another example, the method (300) may be applied to items (FIG. 1,105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104) in general. In this example, all items (FIG.1, 105) in stock (FIG. 1, 104), regardless of the quantity, may bepurchased using the systems and methods described herein.

In some examples, the method (300) may be applied to a particular groupof selected items (FIG. 1, 105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104). For example, astock provider may select a number of items (FIG. 1, 105) that arelikely to be popular. The potentially popular items (FIG. 1, 105) may beremoved from stock (FIG. 1, 104) based on purchaser information (FIG. 2,206) as described herein. By comparison, items (FIG. 1, 105) of stock(FIG. 1, 104) that are not likely to be popular may be removed fromstock (FIG. 1, 104) when placed in an electronic holding container.While specific reference is made to group selection based on popularity,any criteria may be implemented to determine which items (FIG. 1, 105)will be removed from stock (FIG. 1, 104) based on purchaser information(FIG. 2, 206). For example, which items (FIG. 1, 105) may be managed viathe method (300) may be based on a release date of the item (FIG. 1,105).

Basing a determination of when to remove an item (FIG. 1, 105) fromstock (FIG. 1, 104) on purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) may bebeneficial in that it manages low availability items (FIG. 1, 105) instock (FIG. 1, 104) efficiently. That is, low availability items (FIG.1, 105) may be maintained in stock (FIG. 1, 104) in scenarios where itis less likely that the item (FIG. 1, 105) will be purchased. Similarly,the method (300) may be beneficial in that it ensures an item (FIG. 1,105) is available to a purchaser who is likely to complete a purchase ofan item (FIG. 1,105), thus providing a satisfactory purchaserexperience.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another method (400) of stock management forelectronic transactions, according to one example of principlesdescribed herein. The method (400) may be performed by the stock manager(FIG. 1, 103). The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may supply (block 401) anelectronic holding container to indicate items (FIG. 1, 105) of stock(FIG. 1, 104) selected to be purchased. As described above, anelectronic holding container, temporary holding container, shopping cartor similar terminology may contain a representation of an item (FIG. 1,105) that has been selected by a purchaser for subsequent purchase. Therepresentation may remain in the shopping cart while the purchasercontinues shopping and may be removed during a subsequent purchase.

The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may receive (block 402) an indicationthat an item (FIG. 1, 105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104) has been selected tobe purchased by a purchaser. This may be performed as described inconnection with FIG. 3.

The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may obtain (block 403) a correlationbetween electronic holding container use and completed purchases. Asdescribed above, the purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) may includepurchase history information (FIG. 2, 209) which may be any informationthat indicates a likelihood that a particular purchaser is going tocomplete a purchase of an item (FIG. 1, 105). In some examples, thecorrelation may be a ratio that compares a number of times items (FIG.1, 105) were placed in an electronic holding container with the numberof times items (FIG. 1, 105) ere actually purchased. For example, theratio may indicate that 75% of the time, a purchaser completes atransaction for an item the purchaser had previously placed in anelectronic holding container. In other words, the correlation mayindicate a likelihood that a purchaser will purchase an item (FIG. 1,105) placed in the electronic holding container.

The correlation may reflect any of the various types of purchase historyinformation (FIG. 2, 209). For example, the correlation may indicate thelikelihood that a high value item (FIG. 1, 105) placed in the electronicholding container will be purchased. In another example, the correlationmay indicate the likelihood that a particular type of item (FIG. 1, 105)(i.e., an electronic good) placed in an electronic holding containerwill be purchased.

The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may compare (block 404) the correlationto a threshold value. The threshold value may be a numeric value thatindicates when an item (FIG. 1, 105) should be removed from stock (FIG.1, 104) before a purchase. For example, a stock provider may implement apredetermined threshold value of 75%. This threshold indicates that inorder for an item (FIG. 1, 105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104) to be removedfrom stock (FIG. 1, 104) before a purchase, a purchaser shouldhistorically purchase items (FIG. 105) placed in the electronic holdingcontainer 75% of the time.

As described above, in some examples, the correlation may reflect any ofthe various types of purchase history information (FIG. 2, 209).Similarly, the threshold value may reflect any of the various types ofpurchase history information (FIG. 2, 209). For example, a stockprovider may implement a 75% threshold value for electronic goods andmay also implement a 90% threshold value for newly released or highvalue items (FIG. 1, 105). Accordingly, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103)may determine (block 405) whether the correlation is greater than thethreshold value.

If the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) determines (block 405, determinationYES) that the correlation ratio is greater than the threshold value, thestock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may remove (block 406) the item (FIG. 1,105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104). More specifically, the stock manager(FIG. 1, 103) may remove (block 406) the item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock(FIG. 1, 104) before the item (FIG. 1, 105) is purchased. In otherwords, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may remove (block 406) the item(FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) when the purchaser information(FIG. 2, 206) or purchase history information (FIG. 2, 209) indicatesthere is a high likelihood that a transaction will be completed.

Removing an item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) before it ispurchased when the purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) indicates a highlikelihood of a completed transaction may be beneficial in that reducesthe likelihood, for at least some purchasers, that an item (FIG. 1, 105)will be lost. In other words, the likelihood that an item (FIG. 1, 105)in a purchaser's shopping cart will be removed from stock (FIG. 1, 104)due to a purchase by another purchaser will be reduced. This may resultin a satisfactory experience for the purchaser and may promote completedeconomic transactions.

By comparison, if the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) determines (block 405,determination NO) that the correlation ratio is not greater than thethreshold value, the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may maintain (block407) the item (FIG. 1, 105) in stock (FIG. 1, 104) until the item (FIG.1, 105) is purchased. The stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may maintain(block 407) the item (FIG. 1, 105) in stock (FIG. 1, 104) when thepurchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) or purchase history information(FIG. 2, 209) does not indicate there is a high likelihood that atransaction will be completed.

Maintaining (block 407) an item (FIG. 1, 105) in stock (FIG. 1, 104)until it is purchased when the purchase information (FIG. 2, 205) doesnot indicate a high likelihood of a completed transaction may bebeneficial in that it reduces the likelihood that a stock provider willlose a sale. In other words, the method (400) may reduce the likelihoodthat an item (FIG. 1, 105) is not available to an actual purchaserbecause another individual is merely placing an item (FIG. 1, 105) in anelectronic holding container without an intention to complete apurchase. Using this method (400), an item (FIG. 1, 105) is removed fromstock (FIG. 1, 104) at the moment it is likely that a completed purchasewill result, whether that be when the item (FIG. 1, 105) is placed in anelectronic holding container by a “high confidence” purchaser, or whenthe item (FIG. 1, 105) is purchased by a “low confidence” purchaser.This may increase the likelihood that an item (FIG. 1, 105) is availableto a serious buyer which may result in a satisfactory purchaserexperience.

An example of managing stock (FIG. 1, 104) as described herein is givenas follows. A first purchaser may place a representation of an item(FIG. 1, 105) to be purchased in an electronic holding container. Thepurchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) for the first purchaser may indicatethat the first purchaser has historically purchased 90% of the items(FIG. 1, 105) they have placed in an electronic holding container.Accordingly, if the stock provider has a threshold value of 75%, thestock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may remove the item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock(FIG. 1, 104) when the first purchaser places the item (FIG. 1, 105) inthe electronic holding container.

By comparison, a second purchaser may place a representation of an item(FIG. 1, 105) to be purchased in an electronic holding container. Thepurchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) for the second purchaser mayindicate that the first purchaser has historically purchased 50% of theitems (FIG. 1, 105) they have placed in an electronic holding container.Accordingly, if the stock provider has a threshold value of 75%, thestock manager (FIG. 1, 103) may maintain the item (FIG. 1, 105) in stock(FIG. 1, 104) until the second purchaser completes a purchase of theitem (FIG. 1, 105) at checkout.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example of a stock manager (503), according tothe principles described herein. The stock manager (503) may be anexample of the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) described in connection withFIG. 1. The stock manager (503) may include a receive engine (515), anobtain engine (516), and a determine engine (517). In this example, thestock manager (503) may also include a remove engine (518), a maintainengine (519), a compare engine (520), and a supply engine (512). Theengines (515, 516, 517, 518, 519, 520, 521) refer to a combination ofhardware and program instructions to perform a designated function. Eachof the engines (515, 516, 517, 518, 519, 520, 521) may include aprocessor to execute the designated function of the engine.

The receive engine (515) may receive an indication that an item (FIG. 1,105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104) has been selected to be purchased by apurchaser. For example, the receive engine (515) may receive anindication that an item (FIG. 1, 105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104) has beenplaced in an electronic holding container such as an electronic shoppingcart. In some examples the item (FIG. 1, 105) may be a low availabilityitem (FIG. 1, 105), an item (FIG. 1, 105) particularly selected fromstock (FIG. 1, 104), or combinations thereof.

The obtain engine (516) may obtain information relating to thepurchaser. The information may include purchaser information (FIG. 2,206). More specifically, the purchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) mayinclude demographic information (FIG. 2, 207) for the purchaser, groupmembership information (FIG. 2, 208) for the purchaser, purchase historyinformation (FIG. 2, 209) for the purchaser, or combinations thereof.The purchase history information (FIG. 2, 209) may include purchasefrequency information (FIG. 2, 210), purchase value information (FIG. 2,211), purchase quantity information (FIG. 2, 212), purchase typeinformation (FIG. 2, 213), purchase correlation information (FIG. 2,214), and combinations thereof, among any other information thatindicates a purchase history or purchasing habits of the purchaser. Thepurchaser information (FIG. 2, 206) and purchase history information(FIG. 2, 209) may indicate a likelihood that the item will be purchased.

The determine engine (517) may determine whether to remove the item(FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104) based on the purchaserinformation (FIG. 2, 206). The remove engine (518) may remove an item(FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104). More specifically, the removeengine (518) may remove an item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1, 104)before a purchase of the item when the purchaser information (FIG. 2,206) or the purchase history information (FIG. 2, 209) indicates a highprobability that the item (FIG. 1, 105) will be purchased.

The maintain engine (519) may maintain the item (FIG. 1, 105) in stock(FIG. 1, 104). More specifically, the maintain engine (519) may maintainthe item (FIG. 1, 105) in stock (FIG. 1, 104) when the purchaserinformation (FIG. 2, 205) does not indicate a high probability that theitem (FIG. 1, 105) will be purchased.

The compare engine (520) may compare the purchaser information (FIG. 2,206) to a threshold value. For example, the purchaser information (FIG.2, 206) may include a correlation which is a ratio of the number oftimes items (FIG. 1, 105) were selected for purchase by a purchaser tothe number of times items (FIG. 1, 105) were actually purchased by thepurchaser. Accordingly, the compare engine (520) may compare this ratioto a predetermined threshold value. The remove engine (518), themaintain engine (519), or combinations thereof, may use the compareengine (520) results to determine whether to remove an item (FIG. 1,105)from stock (FIG. 1, 104) before the item (FIG. 1, 105) is purchased.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an example of a stock manager (603), according tothe principles described herein. The stock manager (603) may be anexample of the stock manager (FIG. 1, 103) described in connection withFIG. 1. In this example, the stock manager (603) may include processingresources (622) that are in communication with memory resources (623).Processing resources (622) may include at least one processor and otherresources used to process programmed instructions. The memory resources(623) represent generally any memory capable of storing data such asprogrammed instructions or data structures used by the stock manager(603). The programmed instructions shown stored in the memory resources(623) may include an indication receiver (624), an information obtainer(625), a removal determiner (626), an item remover (627), an itemmaintainer (628), a purchase correlator (629), a ratio comparer (630),and a container supplier (631).

The memory resources (623) include a computer readable storage mediumthat contains computer readable program code to cause tasks to beexecuted by the processing resources (622). The computer readablestorage medium may be tangible and/or physical storage medium. Thecomputer readable storage medium may be any appropriate storage mediumthat is not a transmission storage medium. A non-exhaustive list ofcomputer readable storage medium types includes non-volatile memory,volatile memory, random access memory, write only memory, flash memory,electrically erasable program read only memory, or types of memory, orcombinations thereof.

The indication receiver (623) represents programmed instructions that,when executed, cause the processing resources (622) to receive anindication that an item (FIG. 1, 105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104) has beenselected to be purchased by a purchaser. The information obtainer (625)represents programmed instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessing resources (622) to obtain information relating to thepurchaser. The removal determiner (626) represents programmedinstructions that, when executed, cause the processing resources (622)to determine whether to remove an item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock (FIG. 1,104) based on the obtained information. The item remover (627)represents programmed instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessing resources (622) to remove an item (FIG. 1, 105) from stock(FIG. 1, 104) based on the obtained information. The item maintainer(628) represents programmed instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessing resources (622) to maintain an item (FIG. 1, 105) in stock(FIG. 1, 104) based on the obtained information.

The purchase correlator (629) represents programmed instructions that,when executed, cause the processing resources (622) to obtain acorrelation between electronic holding container use and completedpurchases for the purchaser. The ratio comparer (630) representsprogrammed instructions that, when executed, cause the processingresources (622) to compare a ratio between the number of times items(FIG. 1, 105) were selected for purchase by the purchaser to the numberof times items (FIG. 1, 105) were purchased to a threshold value. Thecontainer supplier (631) represents programmed instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the processing resources (622) to supply an electronicholding container to indicate items (FIG. 1, 105) of stock (FIG. 1, 104)selected to be purchased by a purchaser.

Further, the memory resources (623) may be part of an installationpackage. In response to installing the installation package, theprogrammed instructions of the memory resources (623) may be downloadedfrom the installation package's source, such as a portable medium, aserver, a remote network location, another location, or combinationsthereof. Portable memory media that are compatible with the principlesdescribed herein include DVDs, CDs, flash memory, portable disks,magnetic disks, optical disks, other forms of portable memory, orcombinations thereof. In other examples, the program instructions arealready installed. Here, the memory resources can include integratedmemory such as a hard drive, a solid state hard drive, or the like.

In some examples, the processing resources (622) and the memoryresources (623) are located within the same physical component, such asa server, or a network component. The memory resources (623) may be partof the physical component's main memory, caches, registers, non-volatilememory, or elsewhere in the physical component's memory hierarchy.Alternatively, the memory resources (623) may be in communication withthe processing resources (622) over a network. Further, the datastructures, such as the libraries, may be accessed from a remotelocation over a network connection while the programmed instructions arelocated locally. Thus, the stock manager (603) may be implemented on auser device, on a server, on a collection of servers, or combinationsthereof.

The stock manager (603) of FIG. 6 may be part of a general purposecomputer. However, in alternative examples, the stock manager (603) ispan of an application specific integrated circuit.

The preceding description has been presented to illustrate and describeexamples of the principles described. This description is not intendedto be exhaustive or to limit these principles to any precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operations of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products. In this regard, eachblock in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module,segment, or portion of code, which has a number of executableinstructions for implementing the specific logical function(s). Itshould also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, thefunctions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in thefigures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, beexecuted substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes beexecuted in the reverse order, depending upon the functionalityinvolved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagramsand/or flowchart illustration and combination of blocks in the blockdiagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by specialpurpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions oracts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computerinstructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexamples, and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, thesingular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the pluralforms as well, unless the context clearly indicated otherwise. It willbe further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising”when used in the specification, specify the presence of stated features,integers, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not precludethe presence or addition of a number of other features, integers,operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer program product for stock managementof an inventory of items for sale via a computer network for electronictransactions, the computer program product comprising: a tangiblecomputer readable storage medium comprising computer usable program codeembodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising computerusable program code, when executed by a processor, to: manage a databaseof the inventory of items available for sale, the items being physicallylocated at one or more physical locations for shipping to purchasers;receive an indication that an item of stock has been selectedelectronically to potentially be purchased by a purchaser in response tothat item being placed in an electronic holding container prior to theitem actually being purchased, the purchaser using a remote userinterface for browsing the database of the inventory of items availablefor sale; obtain purchase history information relating to the purchaser;and determine whether to remove the item from stock based on thepurchase history information, wherein based on the determination, theitem is or is not listed as available to another purchaser in thedatabase of the inventory of items so as to minimize instances of theitem being unavailable to a second purchaser due to being in theelectronic holding container of a first user who does not completepurchase of the item, the product thereby controlling the inventory ofitems available for sale.
 2. The computer program product of claim 1,further comprising computer usable program code to, when executed by aprocessor, remove the item from stock before the item is purchased basedon the purchase history information.
 3. The computer program product ofclaim 1, in which the purchase history information indicates a groupmembership of the purchaser.
 4. The computer program product of claim 1,in which the purchase history information indicates a correlationbetween use of the electronic holding container and completed purchases.5. The computer program product of claim 4, in which the correlation isa ratio of the number of times an item was selected for purchase to thenumber of times an item was purchased.
 6. The computer program productof claim 5, further comprising computer usable program code to, whenexecuted by a processor, compare the ratio to a threshold value.
 7. Thecomputer program product of claim 5, further comprising computer usableprogram code to, when executed by a processor: remove the item fromstock when the ratio is greater than the threshold value; and maintainthe item in stock when the ratio is not greater than the thresholdvalue.
 8. The computer program product of claim 1, in which the item isa low availability item.
 9. The computer program product of claim 1, inwhich the item is one of a number of selected items of stock.
 10. Thecomputer program product of claim 1, in which the purchase historyinformation indicates a frequency of past purchases.
 11. The computerprogram product of claim 1, in which the purchase history informationindicates a quantity of past purchases.
 12. The computer program productof claim 1, in which the purchase history information indicates a valueof a number of past purchases.
 13. The computer program product of claim1, in which the purchase history information indicates a type of anumber of past purchases.
 14. The computer program product of claim 13,in which a type of a number of past purchases indicates a furniturepurchase, appliance purchase, media purchase, electronic goods purchase,literature purchase, household items purchase, consumable itemspurchase, consumer goods purchase, services, or combinations thereof.